BROOKTONDALE NY (near Ithaca) - Laura Cortese w/ Mariel Vandersteel at the Canaan Institute - Wed May 8th - Fiddle workshop at 5:00 pm followed by a House Concert at 7:00 pm followed by a jam session. Workshop alone $20-, Concert alone $15-, both together $25- RSVP to mike@cinst.org to reserve your space in any of these. http://www.thisislauracortese.com/ and http://www.marielvandersteel.com/

Workshop - Bow, Grooves and Arrangement
Bow techniques, Grooves, Chords and Arrangements for fiddles, violas and cellos. Make your bow work for YOU not the other way around. This class is the foundation for learning jamming and arrangement techniques as a fiddler. We’ll adapt the workshop to accommodate all skill levels; talk to Mike when you RSVP mike@cinst.org

Directions http://canaaninstitute.org/mn/mus_jamcann.html

Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/509851765743287/

Laura Cortese BIO - scroll past photo
http://www.thisislauracortese.com/

Laura Cortese to Release New Album “Into the Dark” April 23
Full East Coast, West Coast Record Release Tours; Midwest Support Dates

“Ambition often follows talent, and Laura Cortese has an embarrassment of both. Her open-armed approach to her art reveals a determination to spread the word about folk music without watering down its distinctiveness.” - John Wenzel, Denver Post

Fiddle player and folk-pop singer-songwriter Laura Cortese takes to the road this April and May in support of her forthcoming full-length release, “Into the Dark” (street date April 23, 2013). American Songwriter describes the title track, which the publication premiered, as a “fiddle-drenched, Americana gem.” The rest of the record follows suit as all ten tracks feature Cortese’s stunning vocals backed by lush string arrangements on both her original, dark folk songs and a few carefully curated covers.

Cortese grew up in San Francisco and moved to Boston to study violin at Berklee College of Music. She has since immersed herself in the city’s vibrant indie music scene and enjoyed a busy sideman career, which has included appearances with Band of Horses at Carnegie Hall, Pete Seeger at Newport Folk Festival, and Patterson Hood and Michael Franti for Seeger’s ninetieth birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden. She performs frequently with Jocie Adams of the Low Anthem and can be heard on Adams’s upcoming album.

The finest moments on Into the Dark occur when Cortese spins out a metaphor as fluidly as she plays. She wrote the album’s first song, “For Catherine,” about an incident in her hometown in which a young woman was sexually assaulted by a group of high school boys. “For Catherine” bends and shifts as if through an alcoholic haze, playing on the dual meanings of “brandy” as both a libation and a woman’s name. As the song nears its mournful conclusion, the strings soar and the drum strikes a doleful beat. But Cortese always has the last word. When the cacophony subsides, her voice rings out alone. More http://www.thisislauracortese.com/

Mariel Vandersteel BIO - scroll past photo
http://www.marielvandersteel.com/

Somewhere between the fjords of Norway and mountains of the Blue Ridge, the fiddle-playing of Mariel Vandersteel intones the strains of elevation, clarity and tremendous feeling. It is uncanny that she hails from a very different set of mountains: those of northern California. Mariel came of age musically nurtured by the Bay Area’s rich revivalist traditional music scene, receiving a cultural grant to venture to the traditional music archives in Dublin, Ireland, and attending Boston’s Berklee College of Music for violin performance. After graduating, Mariel moved to Norway to study Hardingfele, the country’s national instrument at Hogskolen i Telemark folk music school. Returning to Boston in 2009, Mariel continued to work with acoustic-roots conjurers Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers, exploring musical connections between Scandinavia and the United States.

On her new record, Mariel aims to bridge old and new worlds, organically melding the sounds, ornaments and accents of the fiddle communities in which she has delved; Boston and Norway, Ireland and California. In making the record, the goal was to give an aural snapshot of the textures of those communities. Collaborating with the Boston-area’s finest acoustic musicians, including producer/composer Jordan Tice, Scottish harpist Maeve Gilchrist, Tristan Clarridge, Samson Grisman, Dominick Leslie and Duncan Wickel, Mariel’s new music incorporates lush instrumental dialogues, playful timbral exchanges between fiddle and hardanger, and evocative interpretations of old-world melodies. The record endeavors to capture the incredible energy and ingenuity of the musical community Mariel has surrounded herself with: warmly inviting the listener to the fjord, the Sierra or the living room.

Along with her solo project, Mariel tours nationally and internationally with Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers, Laura Cortese’s Acoustic Project and a duo with Emma Beaton. More http://www.marielvandersteel.com/

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HUNTINGDON PA  — Musicians of all ages, instruments and skill levels are invited to attend Folk College 2012, where they’ll have the opportunity to learn from locally and nationally-known folk musicians in a fun and friendly environment.

The event will be held May 25-27 at Juniata College in Huntingdon PA (near State College and Penn State) and will feature workshops, concerts, jam sessions and more, culminating in a student concert where participants can show off the skills they learned throughout the weekend. Workshops range from beginner to advanced and cover genres including blues, old time and world music.

The Folk College 2012 musical staff include:

• Atwater-Donnelly: Atwater-Donnelly performs a unique and thrilling blend of traditional American and Celtic folk music and dance, along with original songs and poetry. The highly praised husband-wife duo blends gorgeous vocals with an astonishing array of instruments including the mountain dulcimer, old-time banjo, tin whistle, guitar, limberjack, mandolin, harmonica, feet and more.
• Four Shillings Short: Four Shillings Short is part of the creative fusion that is happening in World Music today.  Blending Celtic, East Indian and American Folk music with Medieval, Renaissance and original compositions, the international duo have carved out a musical identity all their own.
• Simple Gifts: Three women plus twelve instruments equals one good time when Simple Gifts takes the stage. Drawing on an impressive variety of ethnic folk styles, th award-winning trio of Linda LIttleton, Karen Hirschon and Rachel Hall play everything from lively Irish jigs and down-home American reels to hard-driving Klezmer frailachs and haunting Gypsy melodies, spicing the mix with the distinctive rhythms of Balkan dance music, the lush sounds of Scandinavian twin fiddling, and original compositions written in a traditional style.

• The Horse Flies: A longtime favorite of critics and fans, The Horse Flies blend Americana roots with indie rock, ethnic percussion, creative songwriting, and a fierce, percolating groove. With a love of both the traditional and the modern, The Flies have consistently explored the intersection of the two to create a musical world all their own.
• The Twilite Broadcasters: The Twilite Broadcasters are the missing link between vintage country, old time, early bluegrass and rockabilly. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, the band creates traditional American music directly inspired by the likes of the Louvin Brothers and Bill Monroe.
• Tomás Lozano and Polly Ferber: Barcelona born Tomás Lozano’s music incarnates his mix of cultural roots; a history of conquest and resistance masterfully expressed through his smooth voice, the vibrant fingerwork on his guitar and the soothing droning of his hurdy-gurdy. He will be joined by Polly Ferber, a percussionist, music educator, performer, and recording artist who specializes in hand percussion from the Middle East, the Balkans, Spanish Andalusia, and North Africa.

The weekend will also feature teacher training for the Mark O’Connor method of fiddle playing. This intensive workshop is designed for music teachers interested in learning O’Connor’s unique method of fiddle instruction.

Folk College is hosted by Simple Gifts nd sponsored by the Huntingdon County PA Arts Council. Those who register before April 1 can take advantage of a $200 “early bird” pricing; the cost is $235 after April 1. Meals and lodging in Juniata College residence halls are also available for additional fees.

Folk College 2012 will be held May 25-27 at Juniata College in Huntingdon PA. For more information, visit folkcollege.com or contact the Huntingdon County Arts Council at 814-643-6220.

BLUES GUITAR WORKSHOP

2:30-4:30 pm

Ground-floor Commons Room,

Flora Rose House,

Cornell’s West Campus Dorm Complex

CONCERT

7:30 pm, 165 McGraw Hall,

Cornell Arts Quad,

with Jun-Kyo Seo (Jumba) opening

As a youth, Andy Cohen was nurtured on piano, cornet, and Dixieland jazz records, but when, at age 16, he met Rev. Gary Davis, “his course was set.” He got himself to the “source” to learn directly from the old musicians. His many blues friends and profound influences also include Lead Belly, Big Bill Broonzy, Jim Kweskin’s Jug Band, Skip James, Washington Phillips, John Hurt, and Brownie McGee. Andy Cohen’s mission, over 50 years of making music, is to preserve and carry forward the style and spirit of these masters. He gladly mentors younger musicians who want to play authentic blues. Raised in Massachusetts, he’s really “a Southern boy at heart” who lives in Memphis when he isn’t on the road with his big Washburn and sweet dolceola. He lays down mean and fiery blues from Memphis and beyond, playful ragtime, and soul-felt spirituals and gospel. He’s a virtuoso on guitar and his singing is joyful and unrestrained. Andy Cohen is widely considered one of the finest living performers of African American blues from the Southeast, 1900-1950. A grand raconteur, he can expound with authority, fervor, and energetic humor on blues, the dolceola, and any number of musicological and anthropological topics. He’s a born teacher and self-described “guitar-picking fool.”

The concert starts early, with Cornell sophomore Jun-Kyo Seo (Jumba), president of the Cornell Folk Song Society, opening at 7:30 pm. He’ll show his mettle with blues and ragtime tunes in the style of southern blues guitarists from the early half of the twentieth century. His passion for the genres makes for mighty fine playing. It’s been 8 years since Andy did a gig for Cornell Folk Song Society, so you don’t want to miss him, or the chance to hear some solid young talent.

Concert tickets: Ithaca Guitar Works, GreenStar, Autumn Leaves Bookstore, Bound for Glory, and online at www.cornellfolksong.org/. $15 advance/$17 door; $3 rebate for members, seniors, teens; children 12 & under free. Cornell students $10/$12. Info: 607-279-2027 or website.

WORKSHOP (2:30-4:30 pm): Old pro Andy Cohen will give instruction in blues guitar in the Commons Room of Flora Rose House, West Campus Dorms, Cornell. This workshop is not to be missed by those who want to hone their chops while having a rollicking and mind-stretching good time. Here’s Andy’s description: “I call it ‘Cohen’s Law’, which is really the explicated consequences of striking the root of the chord with your thumb on the one beat. I will walk the guitarists through five pieces: Come Let Us March, Louis Collins, Freight Train, Rev. Davis’s Candyman, and Rev. Davis’s Buck Dance, progressively tricking the picking thumb into doing more and more, within the thumb-on-the-root-on-the-one framework.”

Limited to 12 participants, so pre-register, if possible, to reserve a spot (E-mail Jumba <js2276@cornell.edu> or Margaret <mbs19@cornell.edu>). Payment at the door is acceptable (students $10/non-students $25). There’s a discount price for attending both workshop and concert: students $15/ others $35.

– Margaret Shepard

BROOKTONDALE NY - Music Jam Event at the Canaan Institute (Mike and Raylene’s workshop) with mountain dulcimer musician extraordinaire Bing Futch! Wednesday November 9th 5-10 pm Bing will teach a Mountain dulcimer workshop from 5-7 pm cost is $25. This will be followed by the regular MUSIC JAM at the usual time 7:00-10pm the music jam is FREE. The music jam is also open to ALL instruments! It is OK to come to only the dulcimer workshop OR only the music jam (or both of course). RSVP to mike@cinst.org to reserve a seat at the workshop and for directions.

Some of you may have seen Bing at Old Songs this year. More about this fabulous musician: With roots in both African and Seminole Indian tribes, Bing Futch’s window on America is a unique landscape of music, words and imagery. He began playing Appalachian mountain dulcimer at Knott’s Berry Farm theme park in 1986, working at a Ghost Town shop for Bud & Donna Ford.

That same year, Futch founded techno-punk band Crazed Bunnyz, a trio that grew popular in the international underground college radio scene and has remained a fan favorite long after disbanding in 1988. Since then, he has enjoyed a diverse and prolific solo career, composing dozens of scores for film, theater, themed attractions and television.

After working closely with producers of the hit NBC series “Quantum Leap” while shooting his first documentary in 1992, Futch left his California hometown of Los Angeles in 1993 to pursue production opportunities in central Florida where he set up a multimedia company called J.O.B. Entertainment Inc. Some of his early projects include the travelogue “Disney Overload”, a reality series called “Toastin’”, serving as musical director and composing an original score for the Stage Left Theater production of “Jungle Book: The Musical” and writing/performing portions of the soundtrack for The Castle of Miracles at Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee, Florida.

In 1999, Mohave was born. The award-winning Americana band has performed in a variety of venues including multiple shows at The House Of Blues at Walt Disney World, Hard Rock Live Orlando, The Bamboo Room, Freebird Live, The Orlando Fringe Festival, The Central Florida Fair and they’ve also opened for national acts Molly Hatchet, Subject To Change, St. Somewhere and The Crests.

As a solo performer, Bing’s high-energy, crowd pleasing shows and unique approach to the mountain dulcimer combined have made him a much-sought national act from California to Connecticut. Named 2006 “Songwriter of the Year” by the Songwriters Showcases of America (with a 2007 “Song of the Year” award for “Crazy Feels Like”), Bing has become a regularly featured artist at festivals, house concerts, Irish and British pubs and other venues across the country. He’s opened for Grammy-award nominated artists Sam & Ruby, bluesman Scott Ainslie, singer/songwriter Larry Mangum, shared the stage with Zydeco king Chubby Carrier, Tom Constanten (The Grateful Dead), national fingerstyle guitar champion Michael Chapdelaine, produced numerous recordings and has published several songbooks.

Alongside his performing career, Bing has become a popular instructor of the mountain dulcimer and Native American flute and his video podcast, “Dulcimerica”, has been seen and downloaded by over half a million unique viewers.

Along with the music and video, Bing is also an accomplished podcaster, published writer and roller-coaster fan whose music columns in Jam, Ink-19 and Connections Magazine have been a Florida scene staple for over ten years. He and his wife Jae live in Orlando, so close to Walt Disney World that you can see the fireworks from their interstate exit. — bio by Dean Rezzen

Bing Futch’s Website http://www.darkstudios.com
Canaan Institute Website http://www.canaaninstitute.org

ITHACA NY - This workshop will focus on songs that Aoife learned from her father Bobby Clancy, and other family members growing up in Co Tipperay, Ireland. The class will include material at all levels, from childhood songs to advanced material with a brief history on the background of the songs. Aoife will also be teaching some love songs from around the time of the Napoleonic wars and other unusual family songs that were passed down from her grandparents on both sides. She will work on the pacing of a song and also help students develop their own individual style and approach to singing. There will be some time spent on vocal technique, ornamentation and warm up exercises for the vocal chords. The focus will be on the oral tradition and learning to sing by ear, so students should bring some recording device for class. Aoife will encourage students to sing and help them overcome the “fear of performing”.  http://www.aoifeclancy.com/

Sunday October 2nd 2011 - in the afternoon 2-4 pm $20-
at The Canaan Institute (Mike and Raylene’s workshop)
http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=4206#4206
RSVP to Mike to reserve a seat and for directions michael@canaaninstitute.org

About Aoife ….

Aoife Clancy (pronounced “Eefa”) brings a refreshing new voice to folk music, one that ranges from traditional Irish songs to ballads and contemporary folk. Aoife comes from the small town of Carrick-on-Suir, in Co Tipperary, Ireland, where her musical career began at an early age. Her father Bobby Clancy of the legendary Clancy Brothers, placed a guitar in her hands at age ten, and by age fourteen was playing with her father in nearby pubs.

She later moved to Dublin, where she studied drama at the Gaiety School of Acting. After a season at the Gaiety, Aoife was invited to do a tour of Australia. There she performed at festivals and concerts sharing the stage with some of Ireland’s greatest performers, including Christy Moore and the Furey Brothers. Her performances also include a Caribbean cruises with the Clancy Brothers, the Milwaukee Irish Festival and a seven week tour of the United States with the renowned Paddy Noonan Show

In 1995 Aoife was asked to join the acclaimed group “Cherish the Ladies”, which is one of the most sought-after Irish American groups in history. For the past four years Aoife has toured extensively doing no less than two hundred dates a year throughout the United States and Europe. She has been a featured soloist with orchestras such as the Boston Pops and Cincinnati Pops and, while performing with Cherish the Ladies, collaborated with the Boston Pops on their Grammy nominated Celtic album.

Now with seven recordings under her belt in the last decade, Aoife has clearly established herself as one of the Divas of Irish and contemporary Folk Music. She has recorded two solo projects “Its about Time” and “Soldiers and Dreams” on Rego Records. On her debut CD “It’s About Time,” Aoife presents some traditional favorites, such as “Factory Girl” and “Mrs. McGrath,” but she also presents a sassy rendition of Leon Russelson’s “Don’t Get Married Girls.”

As one reviewer remarked, “she has a breadth of styles that make her concerts fascinating. Her singing would melt packed ice with it’s warmth and richness”—Mike Jackson, Canberra Times. On Aoife’s second Rego solo album, “Soldiers and Dreams,” Al Riess, from Dirty Linen magazine, wrote: “Soldiers and Dreams has a contemporary-meets-traditional-music feel and Clancy’s smooth, expressive singing works both ways—ensuring a successful merger of the two approaches and an enjoyable listening pleasure”.

Currently, Aoife is touring with her own band in support of her two Rego solo releases and her latest Appleseed release “Silvery Moon”. When she comes to a town near you, be sure not to miss this totally enchanting performer.

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Ken Kolodner

Saturday, 12 March

Hammered dulcimer workshops:

10 am to noon and

1-3 pm

Old-time fiddle workshop:

3:30-5:30 pm

JAM Performance space,

Cornell’s North Campus

Ken Kolodner Workshops March 12

An astonishing virtuoso, recognized as one of the world’s masters of hammered dulcimer, Ken Kolodner’s also a hot old-time fiddler and mbira player. You’ll find him regularly on the NPR airwaves, performing with Chris Norman and Robin Bullock (as Helicon), with Laura Risk as Greenfire, keeping contra dancers up to speed, teaching with passion, and playing solo or with other fine musicians such as Doc Watson, Kevin Burke, Allison Krauss, Jay Ungar, John McCutcheon, Bryan Bowers, Jean Ritchie, and his son Brad (an Ithaca College student), who plays a mean and melodic clawhammer banjo and banjola. 

Ken Kolodner is in high demand for workshops and lessons; in addition to CDs, he’s created tunebooks and instructional materials that span his 25 years as an influential musician and teacher.  Folowing the three workshops, he and Brad will perform in concert for the Cornell Folk Song Society, 8 pm in 165 McGraw Hall, Cornell Arts Quad. Concert details in separate article on this BLOG.

10 am-12 pm: Hammered dulcimer workshop for advanced beginners and above: topics will include techniques and ideas for arranging and for playing accompaniment. Written music will be provided (including examples of full arrangements), but I recommend bringing a recording device. Designed to hit all levels of players.     

1-3 pm: Continue hammered dulcimer workshop but possibly at a faster pace, depending on the composition of the group.

3:30-5:30 pm: Old-time fiddle workshop for advanced beginners and above: the focus will be on systems of bowing to include 3-1 bowing, ghost bows, bow rocking, left hand techniques (unisons, slides, chords, etc.) and much more.

$30 for one session; $50 for two sessions; students $20. Please register in advance by contacting Ken directly at kenkolodner@aol.com  or 410-746-8387.

Workshop location for workshop:  JAM (Just About Music) Performance Space, Cornell’s North Campus, Ithaca, NY.  JAM (aka Low-rise #9) is on Program House Drive off of Jessup Road, which runs between Pleasant Grove Rd. and Triphammer Rd. For unloading dulcimers, you can drive right up to the P-space, which resembles a cement box on the side of a brick dorm. But do not park here; a ticket is almost guaranteed! There is free legal parking in several nearby lots: off Cradit Farm Drive, at Robert Purcell Union, or in the “A” lot. We can direct you once you’ve unloaded your instrument. 

Cancellation policy: In the event of really bad weather, contact Ken to find out if the workshop is on. Full refunds will be provided if the workshop is cancelled.

Instrumental workshop with David Surette & Jeremiah McLane

Sunday July 11th 2010 — David Surette (guitar & mandolin) & Jeremiah McLane (accordion & piano) for a French & Breton music workshop on Sunday July 11th 2010 from 2:30-4:30 pm at Canaan Road music workshop. They will teach together focusing on melodies and accompaniment from Brittany and Central France. It’ll be open to all instruments, intermediate level and up. Workshop fee $20- RSVP’s are requested as number of participants is limited. Email Mike at michael@canaaninstitute.org to reserve a seat. FULL STORY and MUSICIANS BIOGRAPHIES HERE: http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=3260#3260

About David Surette & Jeremiah McLane

Accordionist Jeremiah McLane and guitarist David Surette perform a unique blend of Franco-America and New England music that is exuberant and introspective, tender and passionate. They place familiar sounds in unusual settings, and combine a unique gift of improvisation with a keen appreciation for the power of a simple melody. Their repertoire features dance tunes from New England, The British Isles, France and Quebec as well as original compositions.

David Surette David Surette is highly regarded for his work on the guitar, mandolin, and bouzouki, in a wide variety of settings. As a soloist, he is nationally known as a top player of Celtic fingerstyle guitar. He is folk music co-ordinator at the Concord (NH) Community Music School, and has authored a book of Celtic fingerstyle guitar arrangements for Mel Bay Publications. He performs regularly with his wife, singer Susie Burke.

Jeremiah has composed music for theatre and film, received numerous grants and awards (including the Ontario Center for the Performing Arts, and the Vermont Council on the Arts). National Public Radio selected his second solo recording, Smile When You’re Ready, in their “favorite picks” of 1996. His fifth release, Hummingbird, received the French music magazine “Trad Mag” BRAVO award for 2003. He teaches world music, accordion and piano at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, NY. He performs regularly with Nightingale, Le Bon Vent, and The Clayfoot Strutters.

David Surette

One of New England’s finest guitarists, David Surette has been quietly generating a growing following for his work as a soloist. His solo albums “Back Roads” and “Trip to Kemper” have helped to establish him as a top player and arranger of Celtic fingerstyle guitar, yet his diverse repertoire also includes original compositions, blues and ragtime, traditional American roots music, and folk music from a variety of traditions, all played with finesse, taste, and virtuosity. He is equally at home on the mandolin and bouzouki, and is well-known as a top-notch accompanist in New England’s contra dance and Celtic music circles, and is also in demand as a studio musician and sideman. He has performed throughout the country at festivals, concerts, coffeehouses and contra dances, and in 1999 toured in Brittany, France. Since 1988 Surette has enjoyed an inspired musical partnership with singer Susie Burke, with whom he has just released a duo recording, “Sometimes in the Evening”. He also plays regularly with fiddler Rodney Miller, with whom he performed at the 1999 Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife, and wth whom he has released two recordings. In addition to performing and recording, Surette maintains an active teaching schedule, and is head of the folk department at the Concord (NH) Community Music School. He has also taught at numerous summer music camps, including Augusta Heritage Festival (WV), Swannanoa Gathering (NC), Summer Acoustic Music Week (NH), and Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddle School (CA). He was awarded an NEA travel grant in 1994 to study the traditional music of Brittany, and has written a book of Celtic guitar arrangements for Mel Bay Publications.

“Surette has distinguished himself among North American Celtic guitarists by his use of Breton and French materials…His technique is impeccable, and his touch and phrasing are immediately recognizable.” Acoustic Guitar

“A brilliant soloist, in the acoustic celtic fingerstyle genre…” Trad Magazine (France)

“New Hampshire guitarist extraordinaire…he plays with a rare combination of exuberance and articulation.” Scott Alarik folk music critic, Boston Globe

Jeremiah McLane

The music of composer, accordionist, and pianist Jeremiah McLane is a unique blend of Franco-American, Celtic, jazz, and roots influenced music that is at once exuberant and introspective, tender and passionate. He places familiar sounds in unusual settings, and combines a gift of improvisation with a keen appreciation for the power of melody.
The early years

I was raised in a large family with deep connections to the state of New Hampshire (my great-grandfather was governor from 1905-1907) and to traditional music (there was contra dancing in my father’s family home in Manchester for over 75 years). In our family we listened to many different kinds of music: Edith Piaf, Ragtime, Harry Belafonte, The Beatles, Eric Satie, Jimi Hendrix, Bach, Beethoven, etc. My mother played piano, and my father sang. Songs and music making were a regular feature of family gatherings. I started on clarinet when I was nine and then switched to piano at eleven. I had classical lessons but also learned to play boogie-woogie and blues from my older siblings.
Influences

Jeremiah McLane Early on I was influenced by the music of Memphis Slim, Roosevelt Sykes, and other blues artists. As a teenager I was introduced to the music of Miles Davis, Les McCann, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, John Coltrane, and other jazz greats. I went to Oberlin Conservatory where I studied classical and jazz piano, then transferred to the Cornish Institute in Seattle and studied with Gary Peacock. I also studied Indonesian Gamelan, West African drumming, and the music of minimalist composers Steve Reich and Philip Glass.

In 1980 I started studying Celtic music and began playing the accordion. My major influences at that time were the Bothy Band and Dedanann. I started playing in Celtic bands and studied with Chicago accordionist Jimmy Keane and Cape Breton pianist Doug McPhee. In the early 1990s I helped start two bands with strong traditional New England roots: The Clayfoot Strutters and Nightingale, both of which are active today. Nightingale has recorded three CDs and tours regularly throughout the US. In 2003 I formed Le Bon Vent, a sextet specializing in Breton and French music.
Learning and teaching

In 2001 I attended the New England Conservatory of Music and got a Master’s of Music in Contemporary Improvisation. In 2005 I started the Floating Bridge Music School, where I teach traditional and contemporary music. I am a faculty member at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, NY, and also teach at various summer music camps including Ashokan Fiddle & Dance, Augusta Heritage Arts Center and Centrum’s American Festival of Fiddle Tunes.
Recording projects

Since 1990, I have recorded 9 CDs: three with Nightingale, one each with the Clayfoot Strutters, Ruthie Dornfeld and Le Bon Vent, and three solo CDs. My second solo recording, Smile When You’re Ready, was nominated by National Public Radio in their “favorite picks” of 1996. Hummingbird, with Ruthie Dornfeld, received the French music magazine “Trad Mag” Bravo award for 2003, as did Le Bon Vent’s Goodnight Marc Chagall in 2006. I have composed music for theatre and film, including Sam Shepard’s “A Lie Of The Mind”, and been awarded the Ontario Center For The Performing Arts “Meet The Composer” Award, and the Vermont Council On The Arts “Creation Of New Work” grant.

Jeremiah McLane solo recordings and performances:

Accordionist/pianist Jeremiah performs a unique blend of Franco-America, Celtic and Jazz influenced music featuring his own compositions as well as arrangements of traditional pieces. His music is at once exuberant and introspective, tender and passionate. He places familiar sounds in unusual settings, and combines his unique gift of improvisation with a keen appreciation for the power of a simple melody. He has appeared at numerous festivals in the U.S. and in Europe including the Royal Festival Hall in London, England, the Picolo Spoleto Festival, the St. Chartiers Festival (France), and the Philadelphia Folk Festival. He has composed music for theatre and film, including Sam Shepard’s “A Lie of the Mind”, and received numerous grants and awards including the Ontario Center for the Performing Arts Meet the Composer Award, and the Vermont Council on the Arts Creation of New Work Grant. National Public Radio selected his second solo recording, Smile When You’re Ready, in their “favorite picks” of 1996. His fifth release, Hummingbird, received the French music magazine “Trad Mag” BRAVO award for 2003. Jeremiah teaches world music, accordion and piano at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh.

Jeremiah McLane as part of Nightingale

CD - Nightingale: Three/Trois Over the past decade the three superb musicians who make up Nightingale, Becky Tracy (fiddle), Jeremiah McLane (piano, accordion), and Keith Murphy (guitar, mandolin, foot percussion, vocals), have charmed audiences with their vibrant and imaginative explorations of musical traditions that carry listeners across New England to Quebec, Newfoundland, Ireland, France, and beyond.

Hailed in Sing Out! Magazine for their “impeccable playing… danceable and exciting, with a reflective approach to the music”, Nightingale has fashioned a fresh and distinctive sound that is innovative while rooted in Celtic and Northern European folk traditions. From a Newfoundland ballad to a blazing set of Irish reels, from a rollicking Quebecois chanson-a-repondre to a lilting bourree from Central France, their song and tune arrangements find the perfect balance between tradition and innovation.

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Celtic Heels School of Irish Dance - With Instructors: Cara Leach and Kay McGrenaghan Cafasso: Adult and Children’s classes strting soon! See http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=2308#2308

The 22nd annual Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend takes place in Durham, NH, Jan. 16-18. This is a NEFFA event of a nice size - Car pool wanted http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=2298#2298

Workshop on Rhythm for Guitars with Gail Blake at Canaan Rd Wed Jan 14th 2009 from 7:00 - 9:30 pm (Instead of the usual jam session) FORUM thread for feedback: http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=2233#2233 Gail is a wizard at backing up fiddle dance tunes with guitar. Send her your thoughts or ideas.

The CAJUN jam is starting up again. This was around a few years ago when I first started fiddle. New management at Oasis Social Dance Club [Common Ground] is making it possible once again! WooWhoo! Support venues that host LIVE music and JAMS! Details http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=2299#2299

DANCE FLURRY FESTIVAL - Huge indoor music and dance festival in February with lots of JAMMING and of course DANCING - Saratoga Springs NY (near Albany) Mail in advance ticket form is now online! - Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8001273807 - Facebook Event http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=34544458457 - Central New York forum thread for carpooling etc http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=2221#2221 - Flurry Festival Website http://www.danceflurry.org/festival/index.html

Once again, the Student Union Board at Cornell presents Phil Shapiro’s GROUP FOLK GUITAR LESSONS. You can learn to play acoustic guitar, or improve your guitar playing, with this inexpensive course. There are eight one-hour lessons, on Monday evenings, starting Monday, January 26th, 2009, in the International Lounge of Willard Straight Hall. Registration is at the first lesson. Just come, and bring a guitar. The classes are well thought out, and will give you the information and the skills that you need to learn how to play guitar, or how to play better. Phil Shapiro has been teaching guitar in Ithaca for over 30 years. Two separate classes taught each Monday: One beginner level and the other intermediate level. WHOLE STORY HERE http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=2297#2297